Arsons to hide other crimes on the rise in Ohio

Crimes, including some high-profile ones in the Mahoning Valley, are being concealed through arson while other criminals are using fire as a violent tool in communities across Ohio, a state official reports.

Recent Valley arsons resulting in criminal charges involve three people from Youngstown charged with capital offenses in the death of a 16-year-old Warren G. Harding High School sophomore; and a woman found guilty of aggravated arson in a Youngstown fire that heavily damaged a home and burned another woman in the 100 block of Regent Street.

"The use of arson as a weapon of violence and crime concealment is a concerning trend, and the economic impact of arson is staggering, with millions of dollars lost in property damage," said Kevin S. Reardon, Ohio's state fire marshal. "We must raise public awareness of the dangers of arson and encourage individuals to report any suspicious activity."

The State Fire Marshal's Fire & Explosion Investigation Bureau investigates the origin and cause of fire, explosions and fireworks incidents in Ohio.

In 2022, 385 of 953 or 40 percent of the fires the bureau investigated were deemed arson, an 18 percent increase over 2021. So far in 2023, 147 of the 385 fires (38 percent) investigated were set intentionally.

Arson involves setting fire to property, and can result in loss of life, property damage and economic losses, according to Reardon's office. Arson attacks have been carried out against people, businesses and even entire communities. The intentional setting of fires can cause fear and terror and can be used to intimidate or harm specific individuals or groups.

WARREN FATAL

Arson often is used as a means of concealing other crimes, the fire marshal said.

On Jan. 19, at a home on Nevada Avenue NW in Warren, fire killed 16-year-old Chassidy Broadstone, a sophomore from Warren G. Harding High School. Broadstone was found in a second-floor bathroom, while her two sisters managed to escape the flames by jumping to the roof of the front porch and then to the ground. Marshals stated that one of the sisters sustained a broken back, and the other had nonlife-threatening injuries.

Fire marshals investigated the blaze, and state investigator Todd Stitt confirmed the fire started on the first floor. Traces of gasoline were found at the scene.

The work of Warren police detectives, using surveillance video, determined that one of the suspects was observed carrying a gasoline can, as shown on the security video, and thrown against the wall opposite of the door -- presumably from the backdraft of the fire. The man then retrieved an item suspected to be an xBox gaming system and the gas can before the video ends.

Within a month, three people from Youngstown were charged with capital offenses in the case.

Zackary Gurd, Patricia Zarlingo and Brendan Daviduk all face two counts of first-degree aggravated murder with specifications of aggravating circumstances that each carry death penalty-level sentences; two counts of attempted aggravated murder; two counts of aggravated arson; one count of aggravated burglary; and one count of tampering with evidence.

The death penalty specification kicked in because Broadstone's death occurred during the commission of other felonies.

Gurd's next pretrial hearing is set for 1:30 p.m. this Wednesday before Judge Cynthia Rice; his jury trial has been scheduled for Feb. 12, 2024.

Meanwhile, Judge Sean O'Brien is hearing the cases of Daviduk and Zarlingo. Their next pretrial hearing is set for May 31, and no trial dates have been set in those cases.

YOUNGSTOWN FATAL FIRE

A woman accused in an Aug. 13, 2022, arson at a South Side Youngstown home earlier this year in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court received a 23-year prison sentence.

Cheree Moore, 42, was found guilty of aggravated arson by a jury in late 2022, in Judge Maureen Sweeney's courtroom.

Reports show Moore was criminally charged in the fire that heavily damaged a home in the 100 block of Regent Street on the South Side, sending a woman to the hospital with second-degree burns. Investigators said the fire was set in two places, but would not say how the blaze was set. The victimwas released from the hospital.

Police detectives say officers had been to the Regent Street home multiple times previously investigating a family dispute.

PUBLIC HELP NEEDED

Josh Hobbs, Fire and Explosion Investigation bureau chief with the state fire marshal, urges the public to provide any information when there is an arson in their community, even if they think it's insignificant.

"Many arson cases have been solved by somebody sharing what they saw; even the smallest details can be just what our investigators need to get these individuals arrested and off the street," he said.

The Blue Ribbon Arson Committee offers up to $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone responsible for arson. People with information can contact the Ohio State Fire Marshal's Office at 800-589-2728.